A sequel to "Welcome to the Ark". Elijah Raymond once lived in the experimental group home, but when the Ark was disbanded, Elijah ran away and was found and taken hostage by a group of eco-terrorists. Elijah can't escape, but he can enter the minds of animals and people--a power that would be useful to the terrorists if they found out. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Gr 7-10-Amber and her family are forced to flee into the wilderness when her father, the "alpha wolf" of the Free Mountain Militia, orchestrates the largest act of terrorism against the U.S. since the Oklahoma City bombing. Along the way, she is entrusted to care for Elijah, an African-American boy who has run away from a mental institution and been taken hostage by the militia. Elijah, who proved his talents in Tolan's Welcome to the Ark (Morrow, 1996), has the ability to transform his consciousness into objects, animals, and occasionally humans, giving him the talent he needs to be an essential member of the cadre. Amber, while having empathy for him, believes in her father, can rationalize the many "necessary losses" his work creates, and wants to join him in his quest to bring down the system. Ultimately, these plans include the use of a bioweapon to wipe out half the world's population. The world is saved by Elijah's powers, leaving the militia bruised, but not broken. The characters and themes introduced in Welcome to the Ark are so slowly divulged that they're occasionally distracting. Amber and Elijah's actions don't always explain their motivations or understanding of events. The boy's transformation from using his powers to stop violence to assisting in its creation is not fully developed. Characters and ideologies abound and may at once challenge and turn off readers. Some will be disturbed by the remorseless killings that repeatedly occur while others will debate the entire doctrine of the novel, making for a confrontational and thought-provoking read deserving much discussion.-Katie O'Dell, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information